And we’re there...

[Jessey]

We got out for a short ride today, but he was wired!

Bikes worried him about 10m out of the driveway, he doesn’t normally care about them! The roadwork signs he stopped dead at, he has never batted an eye at them before. Then a broken street sign, which was fine last week. Then there was a moving lorry with guys in it banging and crashing around inside but he managed to go past just giving it side eye.

Once we got in the forest he was still eyes on stalks but held it together. I didn’t take any pictures as didn’t dare go one handed! It was like rewinding to riding him 2 years ago if I didn’t have an appointment to get to I would have gone twice as far to settle him better.

Hopefully he’ll be calmer tomorrow as I’ve got a friend coming to see if she can get a tune out of him schooling

 

[Jessey]

My friend came this morning to see if she could get a bit more of a tune out of Monkey schooling than I’ve been able to. He’s a lazy type generally, but it takes a huge amount of effort to keep him going in a circle, so I’ve worried it’s me, my weight, the saddle etc etc, but H is a tall beam pole and very skilled and she felt like he just doesn’t enjoy it or see the point, which is kind of a relief! So she’s invited me to go and school with her kids to do some fun stuff to try and motivate him we’ll do it once the weather is a bit more consistent.

Monkey had a first though, H plopped her 6yo on for a sit, and he didn’t flinch. Last time I tried with a similar age child he was too nervous when I lifted her up and I never got her on.

 

[Jessey]

Poor Monkey didn’t know what hit him, he was very confused when I caught him this afternoon to go out for a ride

We got back just before dark and ready for dinner, so he thought that bit was ok

 

[Jessey]

I feel like I’m doing well getting rides in at this time of year, today was ride 7 of the year.

A yard has closed nearby so we took a track I’ve never ridden him on as it’s tight and used to have horses all along it

It was a nice sunny afternoon and we made the most of it!

 

[Jessey]

I have ridden in the past 2 weeks but forgot to update here. I now realise I have only schooled as have been trying out saddles on every available day. That might be why he was less than keen when I tried schooling again today! I’ll definitely have to get him out on my next day off.

 

[Jessey]

Finally got out today, and Monkey was a champ

Pleased to see catkins are out in the forest, so spring is finally just around the corner


It did rain a bit but we were dressed for it so I don’t mind, we need the rain for next year’s hay!

I picked up probably the last load of small bales this morning, he’s got some left but said with his other regular customers they will likely be gone before I would normally go for more I’ve got about 2 months left until I run out. I could probably jig about in the barn and get another load in, but I’d have to go tomorrow and I’m not sure he’d let me steal it from his other customers. I do still have a round bale supplier, that I get for the little boys, it just means soaking it for Jess.

 

[Nierva]

Finally got out today, and Monkey was a champ
View attachment 134549
Pleased to see catkins are out in the forest, so spring is finally just around the corner
View attachment 134550
View attachment 134551
It did rain a bit but we were dressed for it so I don’t mind, we need the rain for next year’s hay!

I picked up probably the last load of small bales this morning, he’s got some left but said with his other regular customers they will likely be gone before I would normally go for more I’ve got about 2 months left until I run out. I could probably jig about in the barn and get another load in, but I’d have to go tomorrow and I’m not sure he’d let me steal it from his other customers. I do still have a round bale supplier, that I get for the little boys, it just means soaking it for Jess.

I see the weather's not exactly ideal where you are, just like here! Oh, and can I just say that I LOVE those hi-vis ear bonnets! Very cool and practical. The more hi-vis, the better, especially when the sun just doesn't seem to come out at all at the moment!

 

[Jessey]

I didn’t post on Sunday, but L&L came over and we went for a nice plod (taking it easy as L&L haven’t done anything since Xmas)


Hopefully they’ll be over this weekend, but we’re under a warning for ice tonight and L won’t tow if it’s icy (fair enough!) and Sundays forecast is disgusting!!

It might be interesting riding anyway, both of my visits today Monkey spent cantering circles around Jess and I, and doing handstands!! Normally that means he’s cold, but he wasn’t, I think just feeling the sudden drop in air temp. So trying the new saddle might be interesting

 

[Nierva]

I didn’t post on Sunday, but L&L came over and we went for a nice plod (taking it easy as L&L haven’t done anything since Xmas)
View attachment 134612

Hopefully they’ll be over this weekend, but we’re under a warning for ice tonight and L won’t tow if it’s icy (fair enough!) and Sundays forecast is disgusting!!

It might be interesting riding anyway, both of my visits today Monkey spent cantering circles around Jess and I, and doing handstands!! Normally that means he’s cold, but he wasn’t, I think just feeling the sudden drop in air temp. So trying the new saddle might be interesting

Good luck!

 

[Jessey]

The sun shone and Monkey, although on his toes, was a gent. New saddle seems ok, he walked out really well in it, time will tell if that’s the saddle or just his energy levels!

 

[Jessey]

Monkey was a bit spicy today, went out fine but just before we got to the forest someone started the engine on their mower behind us, startled Monkey but fine, 10 seconds later he mowed over twigs and that set him off, we cantered on the spot until he leapt sideways into the middle of the road and finally came back to me enough to jog along the road away from it.

He calmed down pretty quickly and we continued

A while later I’d just taken my phone out to take a picture when we had another cantering on the spot moment, the only thing I can think is the jet going over set him off, they don’t normally bother him, we live under the flight path so he’s more than used to them! He was then unsettled for a good way, so we went further than planned!

Found some pretty snowdrops though

He did eventually settle into a good long trot on the way home, though I still had my reins bridged just in case!

 

[Jessey]

Back in September when towing Monkey to a friends we had a huge bang and I wasn’t sure what had happened
https://www.newrider.com/threads/and-we’re-there.255932/post-3206284
A trailer stepping to the side like that at 50mph is really bad news, and honestly it made me nervous to take him out, I’ve been blaming the trailer and almost traded it out for a new one.

Yesterday my car was in for MOT and I had the mechanic check over the back end while he was under there as it’s had a slight knock, and a coil spring had completely snapped in half! And a drop link snapped too! I’m sure that’s what happened that day and we were bloody lucky that didn’t result in a complete wreck.

 

[Jessey]

I got Monkey out yesterday, when we left it was mildly breezy, 10 minutes later it was really gusty, I didn’t really fancy the forest in that wind but told myself to stop being silly and carried on as I wanted a decent ride.

Monkey was good as gold, but in the forest the tops of the smaller trees trunks were moving feet, waving back and forth in the gusts, and that’s when they come down as our sandy soil just doesn’t have enough structure to hold them, so we got a wriggle on through there to a bit with mostly bigger trees! We did 4 miles but no pictures as I wanted 2 hands on the reins in case a tree or branch came down as it spooks him.

We had our first little canter in this saddle, but it wasn’t the day to really push my luck. Today is meant to be nice and L&L are coming over so hopefully we can give it a proper go today.

 

[Jessey]

Hmm spring is definitely on its way, spunky ponies! Both L and Monkey were very full of it, whoever was behind when we trotted was bouncing and tossing their head around excited but the sun shone and we had a very pleasant 5 miles out.
We nearly got in a pickle going around the top of a downed tree, we were pushing through the top branches, and he got almost through but stopped kicking and panicking, I glanced down and he hadn’t stepped over a less bendy branch with his back feet, and had then managed to kick it up to his stifles and get it wedged. He backed off as soon as I asked him though and managed to step over it on second try!

L bought her measuring stick over for me to pop on Monkey when we got back, he’s full up 15.2 but still rides like a pony!

 

[Jessey]

Today is a marker day on 3 fronts!

1. I got my first after work ride!!!! It was only 13.5 minutes but still, a quick dash around the 1 mile block will no doubt settle his spicyness! It could have been longer but I hadn’t planned to ride tonight and hadn’t been paying attention to when it gets dark.

2. The mosquitoes are out in force already I haven’t even got the big kids out of their rain sheets yet, they’ll have to go straight into fly rugs.

3. The grass is definitely growing, the big guys were heads down grazing when I arrived rather than stood pretending to be starving!

 

[Trewsers]

Today is a marker day on 3 fronts!

1. I got my first after work ride!!!! It was only 13.5 minutes but still, a quick dash around the 1 mile block will no doubt settle his spicyness! It could have been longer but I hadn’t planned to ride tonight and hadn’t been paying attention to when it gets dark.

2. The mosquitoes are out in force already I haven’t even got the big kids out of their rain sheets yet, they’ll have to go straight into fly rugs.

3. The grass is definitely growing, the big guys were heads down grazing when I arrived rather than stood pretending to be starving!

Yaye that's lovely getting an after work ride in. Yuk to the mossies. We have some of the little black flies here already.

 

[Jessey]

Yaye that's lovely getting an after work ride in. Yuk to the mossies. We have some of the little black flies here already.

I’m not looking forward to when those arrive here!

 

[Trewsers]

I’m not looking forward to when those arrive here!

They are a real pest aren't they. Fuz hates flies with a passion, she is really intolerant of them.

 

[Jessey]

I managed to get out of work an hour early today, so got Monkey out again, it was grey and windy so thought I’d just whip around the block but the rain held off so I diverted off into the forest, finally managed to get some decent canters in

We were out at jet home-time and they were really low today coming in to land below the cloud, the first batch Monkey wasn’t worried by, but 16 jets one after another was just 1 too many apparently! He wasn’t too bad, started to bounce but quickly came back.

He’s desperate for grass, kept asking to stop for a snack in the forest, I’ll get them out on the last rested paddock at the weekend.

 

[Trewsers]

I managed to get out of work an hour early today, so got Monkey out again, it was grey and windy so thought I’d just whip around the block but the rain held off so I diverted off into the forest, finally managed to get some decent canters in
View attachment 134795
We were out at jet home-time and they were really low today coming in to land below the cloud, the first batch Monkey wasn’t worried by, but 16 jets one after another was just 1 too many apparently! He wasn’t too bad, started to bounce but quickly came back.

He’s desperate for grass, kept asking to stop for a snack in the forest, I’ll get them out on the last rested paddock at the weekend.

Golly 16 in a row is enough to send any horse into over drive isn't it.